


With the Stars in Her Eyes

by runicmagitek



Category: Final Fantasy VI
Genre: F/F, First Meetings, Open Relationships, Pre-Canon, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2015-03-07
Packaged: 2018-03-16 19:23:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3500000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runicmagitek/pseuds/runicmagitek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Setzer always had his eyes on the stage, but Darill's found something far more captivating.</p>
            </blockquote>





	With the Stars in Her Eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rynling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rynling/gifts).



> For [the Kiss Battle](http://ff-exchange.dreamwidth.org/59207.html) with the prompt: "She wanted the opera star before he did." And I blame Winterpoppy for pointing it out to me. That moment when you find the thing you didn't realize you _needed_ until right now. I had to write this. For reasons.

The opera had never been Darill’s scene, but that wasn’t to say she didn’t like it. The orchestra was marvelous and the aesthetics left her in a constant state of awe. Sitting still for hours, though, had Darill fidgeting. Her mind wandered countless times while waiting for a much needed intermission. She relished the time to stretch her limbs more so than the arias sung.

If nothing else, she went because of Setzer. For someone as impulsive and carefree as him, his love for theatre came as a refreshing surprise. How he spoke of the show afterward with utmost joy rivaled his passions for gambling and flying. And Darill let him talk, smiling as he recounted his favorite moments and compared them to last year’s production. His excitement was worth the hours of sitting and watching and waiting.

Boredom never sat well with her, though she couldn’t blame Setzer for that. He always kept her entertained outside of the opera house, giving her plenty of reasons to crawl back for more. But each show captivated him in a way she couldn’t.

So she decided to let her eyes wander in search for something that Setzer himself couldn’t offer.

She found her back when she was still a seed in the ground, not yet blossomed into her full potential. But Darill was used to looking at odd bolts and cogs, mere trash to one who didn’t know better. In the eyes of a dreamer - her eyes - they were the makings of an airship. Perhaps it was their similar desires to reach for the stars one way or another, but it definitely had something to do with the fitted corset, the flowing blonde hair, and the posture demanding all eyes upon her.

And Darill wasn’t shy to look.

It had been during intermission when Darill approached her. Setzer was busy talking elsewhere, leaving her free to meander. She was alone by the time Darill reached her and by the Gods, she was more gorgeous up close.

“If I didn’t know better,” Darill spoke with a sultry rasp, “I’d say you were the star of the show.”

The blonde puffed up over that compliment. “Would you? And what makes you say that?”

“The men flock to you, so surely there must be a reason.” Darill smirked. “But above all else, _I_ haven’t been able to keep my eyes off of you.”

A bold statement that would either end their conversation or bud into something new. If she learned one thing from Setzer, it was that some instances were worth the gamble.

The gradual wide grin, however, tipped the odds in Darill’s favor. “You have good taste, my dear,” she told Darill. “And where have you been all evening? I’ve been bored until now.”

Darill couldn’t help but grin. “I aim to please. Would the lady like a drink?”

The now blushing woman giggled. “Oh, stop it! No need for formalities. Maria will do. And I’ll take you up on your offer; can’t say no to a drink.”

One glass of wine and twenty minutes worth of intermission wasn’t enough to properly acquaint herself with the extraordinary woman. Maria was a socialite hailing from Jidoor with the dream of becoming the premiere soprano for the opera house. The stage was where her heart lied, though getting her foot in the door proved to be a challenge. But Darill recognized the determination glowing in Maria’s eyes, the spark that dared to match the stars.

Just as they dug deep into the discussion, ushers directed people back to their seats and the two were forced to part ways. Maria extended a hand to Darill’s shoulder, her delicate fingers setting off a series of chills within.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Maria purred before slipping off.

Darill clutched onto her drink as she watched Maria leave. She followed the swing of the woman’s hips, the sound of her voice still fresh in Darill’s memory. A breath she didn’t realize she had been holding onto was released and she turned to search for Setzer.

Regardless if Maria’s last words were a playful suggestion or a serious command, Darill intended to not be a ghost of a memory. Setzer didn’t need to have his arm twisted to frequent the opera house more often, even more elated when Darill was hot on his heels as they approached the building.

Every intermission, Darill snuck off through the thick crowds in search of a swatch of blonde hair swimming among the sea of people. Sometimes she spotted her, sometimes Darill heard the rich, joyous laugh she made when she was truly humored by a story. Each time she found Maria, she always greeted her with a smirk and a drink.

Over the course of time, the two bonded over the short-lived instances they had to share. Always out in the open, yet speaking as if they were alone. Silly men - nobles, most likely - attempted to sweep Maria off her feet with mundane gossip and knowledge she already knew. But Darill offered her tales of her airship excursions along with topics only ladies could indulge in with one another.

They giggled, they smiled, they drank. Each meeting, Darill took one step closer to her. And with each step, Maria progressed in her career within the opera house. She served as a secondary player’s understudy, diligent as ever with memorizing her lines. Maria even recited a few verses to Darill.

When Darill returned to her booth with Setzer, she paid no attention to the show. Her mind had always wandered, but now it kept returning to Maria. Fond thoughts filled her head of the woman dressed in designer gowns, not a hair out of place or a wrinkle in her garments. Darill wanted to comb a hand through those golden tresses, tangle them up in her fingers, and strip her to expose whatever divine body she was hiding underneath.

In the darkness of the theater, Darill licked her lips and chewed at her finger. The more she focused on Maria, the more she wanted to drag her away from the crowds and finally, truly be alone with her. Even if all she could get away with was a simple kiss. To taste her once was all it took to claim she ever had Maria at all.

Though when a recognizable face took to the stage, Darill followed the spotlights and smiled at the familiar woman. Maria’s understudy role came through and she earned her first moment on a live stage. And as the understudy flourished into a stage extra to a chorus member to finally the lead role of a popular opera, Darill could only imagine the excitement the blonde failed to bottle up.

Instead, Darill ended up asking, “Aren’t you happy?”

Maria had yet to smile fully, the corners of her lips only quirking on and off. “No, I am. Overjoyed, actually. But… I fear it would bring our meetings to an end. No more sneaking out from backstage to mingle with people.” She sighed after taking a gulp of her wine. “It’s a shame, though… I’ll miss this.”

 _I’ll miss you, too,_ was what Darill wished to say, but Maria was already turning away, finding someone else to speak with in the last minutes of the intermission. Despite the foul sensation hollowing out her stomach, Darill preferred the abruptness than slowly and reluctantly tearing away from one another.

But she still refused to be a stranger. Though the two couldn’t arrange a face-to-face meeting, Darill supported her in the form of attending Maria’s first performance as a lead role. Posters hung from the ceilings depicting a love-sick woman torn by fate’s cruelty. A typical plot with a banal cast of characters, but Darill came for Maria.

Darill stood by Setzer’s side in silence as patrons mingled with one another. While she and Maria never saw each other during curtain call, Darill wished for nothing more than to see her right then. She sighed and excused herself from the conversation she was barely included in with hopes of numbing whatever fabricated sorrows she created for herself.

Halfway to the bar, a stage hand rushed to Darill, a hot mess of a sight that stuck out like a sore thumb among Jidoor’s finest. Though the short woman knew Darill’s name and pleaded for her to follow. It was when she uttered Maria’s name that Darill’s eyes flashed open and she abandoned her search for a stiff drink.

The stage hand led Darill through the back and gestured to a sole room for her to open on her own. She was polite enough to knock, though when no word greeted her on the other side, Darill gingerly entered.

The last thing she desired to see was the blonde doubled over before her vanity mirror in tears. Without thinking, Darill rushed to her side and called out for her. After the third time, Maria turned her head and gasped.

“You’re here,” she whispered. “And you came. I didn’t think you’d be here.”

“Why wouldn’t I be here?” Darill didn’t expect her to answer, but she hoped Maria would answer the less rhetorical question. “Maria, what’s the matter? You’ve fulfilled your dreams and yet you’re in tears.”

She shook her head and sniffled. “I’m scared.”

A confession of fear spilled out of Maria’s trembling lips. Muscles tensed her body after every day of grueling rehearsal. So much time spent perfecting every movement, every word. All of it done for this very moment, the time she could finally shine like the star she was. In her eyes, all it took was one wrong step, one wrong note, and in a flash, she’d fade out as quickly as she came.

The anxiety of failure crippled the woman, but Darill knew better than anyone else that Maria could accomplish the task at hand. All she needed was a vote of confidence.

The hand upon Maria’s waist was the first time Darill touched her. Even through the costume, she was warm and soft. Darill’s other hand slid beneath her chin, enough to turn Maria’s head to her own.

“You should relax,” Darill murmured, her nose bumping into Maria’s. “Let me help you.”

Darill claimed Maria’s lips in a delicate kiss, nibbling as she pulled Maria into her body. The blonde didn’t push her away; in fact, she dangled herself from Darill’s neck and whimpered into her mouth. They kissed until their lips rubbed raw and their lungs breathless. Only then did they break away.

Right as Darill was about to ask if she was feeling better, Maria pressed a hard enough kiss into Darill to leave them moaning. _Suppose that answers that,_ Darill mused to herself while tightening her embrace about the forward woman.

Whatever softness that had been used to initiate the moment had burned away into a more passionate and raw sensation. Greedy hands clawed at one another as breathless moans vibrated along open mouths. Darill rid herself of her jacket, aimlessly discarding it before loosening Maria’s dress enough to expose her breasts. Her tongue lapped at pink nipples that hardened for her. Though while Darill sucked at the firm peak, their footing wobbled and dared to collapse. Maria clung onto Darill as her feet failed her and Darill followed with a grin on her face.

Darill found milky thighs beneath the layers of the blasted dress Maria was wearing. She delighted in the way Maria trembled with each caress along her inner thigh and memorized every sound that flooded out of her lips. By the time Darill stroked along the warmth between her legs, Maria arched her back and bit at her hand to muffle her reactions.

And she continued to squirm and cry out when Darill replaced her fingers with her tongue. She moaned into Maria herself as her tongue repeated long, deep strokes. The initial plan had been to rub along her clit until she trembled and screamed, but Maria tugged Darill enough to pull her eyes upward. As Maria expressed the desire to be close to Darill and hopefully return the favor, all Darill could do was chuckle.

“I was enjoying myself just fine,” she breathed out as she crawl on back up along Maria. “Besides-” She eased in for a kiss, darting her tongue in to press along Maria’s. “-you taste exquisite.”

Their mouths never strayed from one another. Maria clung onto Darill as she bent a leg in between her thighs. In response, Darill released a deep moan before doing the same for Maria. Darill sunk in deeper, her weight pinning back the fluffy layers of Maria’s dress. All while her own skirt rode up her thighs and bunched along her hips. Neither of them hesitated to rock their hips into one another, both shameless in their wanton movements.

They moaned for one another, the sound fueling their actions and dirtying their minds. In between the gulps of air and steady pace of their grinding, Darill spoiled herself with Maria. The lush skin and enticing curves and alluring scent all drew Darill in. With each taste she swallowed down, she only desired more. Darill grew dizzy with her own lust, mindlessly rubbing against the woman’s thigh until her body quivered and her mouth forced open to cry out.

But the tension remained in Maria, who still tried her best to succumb to euphoria. The frustrations wrinkled up her face. And while Darill was gasping and tingling, she didn’t hesitate to roll onto her back and bring Maria with her. Now she could bend her leg into Maria, one hand steadying her hip while the other groped an exposed breast to fondle.

“You need to learn to enjoy yourself every once and a while,” Darill cooed into her ear before sucking at the lobe. “And you can’t blame me for wanting to hear you do more than just sing.”

A splash of blush heated Maria’s skin up. Darill chuckled as her lips trailed down to the woman’s neck to lavish attention along the sensitive flesh. Her hand dug into Maria’s hip in an attempt to guide her while she indulge herself along Darill’s leg. The series of wails gushing out of Maria urged Darill to please her further. Each playful bite and swift pinch was just to see if Maria would reproduce to lovely sounds.

And soon she too was clawing at Darill, picking up the pace of her hips as she gasped for air. Darill delighted in watching Maria come undone. She shook in Darill’s arms, cried out her name in between her screams, and fully surrendered herself over to whatever bliss awaited her.

The two held onto one another as they focused on breathing. Darill’s heart pounded in her head while Maria’s beat through her chest and along Darill. They purred as they found their footing and slowly separated from one another. Hands lingered over each other with a hidden need for the other’s touch to stabilize.

But the show had yet to start and everyone expected Maria to pull off her performance. At least now the tears disappeared and she stood just as she had during intermissions: confident and fearless. Darill smiled while sitting beside her and touching up her own hair and make-up. While applying scarlet lipstick, Maria rested her head upon Darill’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” she purred. “Suppose I needed that more than I expected.”

Darill chuckled. “You’re the one who asked for me, remember?” She kissed the top of Maria’s head. “Can’t say no to a lady in need.”

Once she was content with her appearance, Darill readied herself to depart, only to have Maria clutch onto her arm.

“Will you…” Maria averted her gaze while she trailed off.

“What is it?”

“No, it’s silly,” Maria insisted.

“I doubt it. Humor me.”

With a deep breath, she said, “Will you come back again? Surprise me before the shows?” She smiled. “It can be like how we used to talk, except…”

She didn’t need to finish her thoughts; Darill already made up her mind. As she kissed the palm of Maria’s hand, she whispered into her, “I won’t be a stranger.”

Barely halfway out the door, Darill shrugged her jacket back on. She plucked out a cigarette as she walked away, curls of smoke escaping her lips by the time she made it to the bar to retrieve the drink she initially planned to purchase for herself. Oh, how she loved the alternative outcome much more.

She masked Maria’s scent and taste with a mixture of smoke and alcohol, much to her dismay. Though her body still tingled from the afterglow.

Upon reaching her private booth shared with Setzer, she smoothed out her attire once more.

Setzer caught her eye as she entered and smiled. “There you are. And where did you run off to?”

“To entertain myself.”

“What, am I boring you?”

Darill chuckled as she sat by his side and pressed a kiss into his neck. “You couldn’t even if you tried.”

And Darill didn’t dare to compare the two of them, just as she couldn’t compare her wine to Setzer’s scotch. Both had distinguishing, acquired tastes, though produced the same end result. But where Setzer was searing and rough and potent, Maria was silky and lush and supple. Just enough variety to satisfy Darill’s appetite.

When Maria took to the stage, Darill locked her eyes upon the woman. Whatever stress Maria claimed to have now vanished as she demonstrated ease and grace before the audience. She was a natural worthy of the standing ovation by the end of the show. Even Setzer praised Maria’s performance. As he claimed he had never heard of her before, Darill looked away to hide the slight smirk on her features.

While emotionally exclusive, Darill and Setzer weren’t physically bound to one another. It wasn’t the first time they shared themselves with an outsider, but Darill kept her affair with Maria to herself. She intended to tell Setzer about her, but the thrill of sneaking about had Darill’s blood pumping. Always eager to see her, to touch her. The second she stepped foot into the opera house, Darill retraced her way back to Maria’s private room. And without fail, Maria was there waiting for her.

They greeted one another with blushing faces and longing kisses. Once Darill closed the door behind her, it wasn’t long until their caresses wandered and their lips grew impatient. Barely enough time to catch up with one another, verbally and physically.

But then there was once when Darill didn’t shut the door behind her. Lost within the other woman’s mouth, she licked along those plump lips until Maria flinched and gasped. It wasn’t until she stepped away from Darill’s reach that she peered over her shoulder to confirm they weren’t alone.

At least Setzer was smirking while he leaned into the door frame.

“By all means, don’t let me interrupt you two,” Setzer spoke. “Would be a crime to deny a lady pleasure. Or _ladies_ , in this case.”

Darill beckoned Maria to come back to her side. _Nothing to be frightened of._ “We weren’t exactly trying to put on a show.”

Setzer laughed. “Fair enough. Though don’t fault me for being curious; was trying to figure out where you kept running off to.” His eyes scanned over Maria. “I don’t blame you now.”

When his eyes lingered over Maria’s frame, Darill spoke up. “I found her first.”

“Oh please, I’m not going to fight you for her, Darill.”

Her lips quirked up. “You’re no fun.”

He smiled back to Darill. “If anything, I’m hurt that you haven’t introduced us. I know you want to keep the opera house’s prized soprano all to yourself, but honestly now.”

“It’s not in my power to decide if-”

Right as Darill looked to Maria, she caught a glimmer in the woman’s eyes. The same intrigue that Setzer greeted her with, directed back at him. When Maria realized she was caught staring, she fluttered her blue eyes and flushed.

Darill rolled her head back to Setzer as she snickered. “You want to be introduced?” She winked at him. “I can arrange that.”


End file.
